Just A Child
by Koganeiro
Summary: Kumo is stressed. There is nothing more that he'd like right now than a little, reasonably-well powered help so he could defeat Chaos. But the fact that the help is a child is a little much. -On Hiatus
1. Prologue

My apologies for the shortness of this part. Bit it's still only a prologue. I'll try and make the other chapters a reasonable length. Noein is not yet introduced to the story.

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Kumo was so flustrated he could have torn up the calender and thrown the remains off of the roof. Over the past while, it had been easier and easier to anger him, so people steered clear and gave him a pretty wide girth.

'Six years,' he thought to himself through gritted teeth. It had been six whole years since Misteria (and Windaria) had been destroyed. Six years since Kumo had begun his quest to defeat and destroy Chaos once and for all, not just for the loss of his own people, but for the losses of others and the safety of those who still lived.

Six whole years, and he had gotten _nowhere._

He breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down– hell if he was going to let his enemy feed off of _his_ negative emotions. Sitting on the bed, he tried to clear his mind, to meditate. Kumo tried, over and over, to successfully empty his mind for meditation, but that only resulted in trying to think of ways to overcome Chaos.

They- or he- or whoever needed to destroy the whole of Gaudium first. That was a feat easier said then done, even for two Unlimited going at it at once. Whoever was left in Gaudium might not have been Unlimited, but powerful with the help of Chaos nonetheless.

_Not Unlimited. _That really made him think. _Oscha... _Oscha himself had never really fought, and there was something about him that made him seem more powerful than he made himself out to be. Could Oscha be a third known Unlimited?

After having his mind fumble around that possibility, he decided, yes, Oscha could be Unlimited. And just to himself, he'd call him Unlimited until someone or something (such as his death) proved him wrong.

Only someone that was Unlimited himself could kill another Unlimited. But no Unlimited could die until Chaos was completely destroyed, for good. That raised yet another issue. They'd have to battle an Unlimited on the opposite side that they couldn't kill, and his true abilities had not yet been gaged. He could be the strongest Unlimited to ever exist, so powerful that he and Kaze combined would not be enough to even give Oscha a headache.

Speaking of which, headaches, anyway, he had gotten one from thinking like that. Kumo massaged his temples carefully with one hand, the other using the finger to press on one of his big toes after taking off his shoes. Sometimes, it actually did work to drive headaches away. It was sort of amazing that way. Sighing, he laid down on the bed, just looking to the ceiling. With nothing to do at the moment, his green eyes tried to find little cracks in the ceiling.

However, that was quickly given up on. Searching for cracks wouldn't help them find a way to defeat Chaos at all. Nibble on the inside of his bottom lip softly, Kumo got up and left his tiny room. Cid definitely wasn't Unlimited, but he was intelligent and clever. Perhaps there was something, anything stored at the back of his mind, forgotten, that could help them defeat Gaudium and Chaos.

It was never wrong to hope to such a miracle, but to get one's hopes too high was wrong. He knew that– and wished he had long ago. His plan that he was positive would work, pretending to work for the Earl, failed miserably. And now, his desire to destroy Chaos rather than help him was out in the open.

Kaze had no desire to help him. The Comodeen, as a whole, was too weak. He was alone, with only Cid's intelligence and logics to help. If Kaze actually participated in helping them from time to time, maybe Chaos _would _be dead by now.

But Kaze didn't, making him a nuisance.

_That bastard._

For, you see, since Kaze didn't help, all of this freedom-wishing organization had most of their hopes placed upon Kumo. Before, the Misterian knew he was the only one that could bring freedom back to the universe and Wonderland. Now, people knew he was the only one he could, and that placed the weight of an actual responsibility on his shoulders.

And with responsibility came the worst of it; stress, and the fear of failure.

He didn't know how he could do this. He was one man, alone. But people were putting all of their hope on him, depending on him. He couldn't just do nothing. He sat down on his bed, flopping down into a laying position. Right now, he felt that he needed some well-earned sleep more than anything else.


	2. Chapter 1

I'm not particularly motivated to write this, really. But since I started it, I'll finish it. But I don't think these are long enough to be called even chapters- Maybe just bits. If anyone particularly enjoys this story, I may re-write it in the future with much more description and length- but for now this is it.

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There was just becoming more and more of them.

Chaos attacks. Monsters, day after day, each attack bringing more and stronger ones. It's not that they were particularly hard for him to get rid of, but to have the same thing happen every few hours, day after day got incredibly tedious. And again, with no help at all.

How long would his life be like this? Waking up at odd hours of the night to protect people that needed it, swinging his sword every couple hours a day. This was actually proving to be a little more boring than pretending to work for the Earl, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

Wanting to scowl, but keeping up his emotionless face (which he reverted his whole being into moments later, being emotionless), the almost-albinic hero quietly left his room. People on board, most of them, had something to do, whether it was getting ready for the day, going away somewhere or working or cleaning something, they were all busy. The only ones that weren't were himself (for fighting so much) Ai and Yu (because they're, well, children), and Kaze (because he wasn't do anything, anyway). How long would TODAY go before he had work to do, as well?

He might as well check up on how everything was. Cid sometimes had an important update that refused to make his way back to him, and Kumo had noticed, lately the ship had been flying in odd direction patterns. No news as to the reason had reached his ears, nor did anyone talk about it. Maybe Cid forgot to tell.

The rest of the ship was in great condition, but the bridge was spotless and beyond compare. Silvia really was Cid's pride and joy, wasn't it...? Well, you could call almost any of his inventions that, really, by the way he treated them all game them all female names. No one knew the reasons behind the names, so a bunch of the crew members (Kumo himself included) had to wonder if he was some sort of secret pervert.

Kumo watched from a few feet away as he, Cid, piloted the large ship with ease, focussed intently on the control panel. The blonde didn't even seem to register that he was there. There was a mumble of 'being too late' and 'there it is again,' before the purple eyes even looked up.

"Oh, Makenshi," he smiled at him, but something inside hit a mental blow at him. Being called 'Makenshi' reminded him of the days, the horrible time that he served the Earl. Every one called him the same thing, except for Kaze. He had to thank Kaze for that much, even if he'd never thank him aloud. "Is there something that you needed?"

"I've noticed we've been flying in odd directions and patterns lately," he breathed calmly from behind his mask. "Any reason as to why?"

"Oh, guess I forgot to tell you, my bad," he looked down to type something in. "There have been strange fluctuations within a few of the dimensions lately, and it's unclear exactly what it is."

"Does it look like Chaos at all, or any attacks?" that was the most logical reasons out of any that anyone would be able to come up with, really.

"Actually, probably not. It's like those bits of worlds themselves ripple, and then it stops. It's a bit strange. Doesn't look like anything Chaos has done to us, and it's subjected in random dimensions. If Chaos is concerned in this at all, it's very indirectly, would be my guess."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"I'm not, for all we know it could be a new henchman and is involved very directly. I'm just saying it's unlikely because I haven't seen this before, and it's been happening for a while, nor as there been any attacks as a result."

"I see," Kumo's eyes closed, and he thought things over. So it could be Chaos, or more likely a henchman, but there was also a big possibility that it wasn't his doing at all. It was rather... Strange, actually. "And what are these ripples doing, what are the effects?"

"They don't seem to be doing anything to the world itself, actually. It just might be more comforting to know what they are coming from." that made enough sense, Kumo supposed.

"It is a threat?"

"Could be, could also be a potential ally. We aren't sure," Cid went back to navigating with almost complete attention. There's another ripple a few dimensions ahead of us, I'm going to see if we can get there before it stops." there was a lurch as Silvia picked up speed.

Though Kumo wasn't necessarily satisfied by the answer, at least he knew what was happening now along the lines of where the ship went and why it went there. But not knowing exactly what was happening in the dimensions was... Unsettling. Gaudium probably knew.

He spotted Kaze on his way back to him room, walking right past him. Strange, that guy were usually sitting or standing in a corner somewhere, not roaming the ship. Oh well, not like Kumo cared much, anyway. That guy had his own business that didn't involve him.

In his room, he locked the door. All too often did someone, namely Knave, Lisa, Miles, Ai or Yu barge into the room without knocking. It drove him to the edge sometimes; at least in Gaudium they did give him a little privacy.

He back at the bed with a slight thump, his sword detaching from his belt. Maybe Chaos was taking a day off so far? He doubted that, but it was certainly be nice if that was the truth. Strange, definitely, but incredibly nice. Or if Kaze stopped being a lazy do-nothing bastard and made up for it anytime soon, really. Either way he would get a break, by he knew neither would happen.

Oscha... Oscha... That name wheeled around in his head again. He had to be unlimited, and severely connected to Chaos. He, out of all the Gaudium Lords- Herba, Fungus, Pist, and himself included, he was the only one able to say that he grew another 'level' and got so ecstatic when Chaos was happy. The Earl (and now herba) was more like a bodily host whose mind Chaos had taken over, but Oscha was like his consciousness, perhaps.

Ugh. It was giving him a headache again.

So what if Oscha was killed? Or would Oscha be like him and Kaze, Unlimited, unable to die? If he wasn't able to die, that was a problem. If he was Chaos' consciousness and was killed, what would happen to Chaos, exactly? Would that be a good thing because he would shut down, or would he go out of control, unable to control himself any longer?

So many possible questions to be answered, o many possibilities...

...So little time.


	3. Chapter 2

I'm so lovely. Not updating for almost two years (regardles sthat there's only two or three people following this- I appreciate you guys =)) and then the chapter is shorter than the first. And not that good. I am extraordinary.

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Kumo's head raised in alarm, his sword automatically clipping itself to his belt. He sighed in relief, hearing Cid's voice only announce, "Everyone hang on, we're engaging full speed!" Waking up from his nap, the man wasn't concerned; given a few minutes to accelerate, he could outrun their 'full speed.' He sighed, re-closing his eyes

'A strange ripple in a dimension,' the thought reappeared in Kumo's consciousness. And they were on the way to visit the closest ripple, provided Silvia arrived in time.

His green eyes half-opened, staring at the bare floor in front of him. No reported monster attacks directly linked to them thus far, but anything unnatural could mean trouble. And that was a stretch- in Wonderland, hardly anything was deemed 'unnatural.' Kumo rose, leaving his room, and without bothering to lock it behind him. Only his Mist bottles were anything of value, and Mist was, by nature, eventually replaceable.

The effects of the velocity of the aircraft was having an obvious effect on both the ship and the crew. The ship shook, diving and rising at unexpected turbulence, but the obstructions did nothing to allow Cid to slow or stop. Crew members clung to nearby rails, walls, and objects, trying not to fall (or hit the ceiling if it took a sudden dive). Those who still insisted on being productive, such as the somewhat-astute Miles, carefully inched along, making sure to have a firm grip on something lest the ship move violently once more.

Kumo went into the main stairwell, a bleak room, and stories above an exit to the roof. The gushing air around the ship screamed through this hallway, heard due to the open staircase and roof above. The Misterian jumped gracefully, pushing himself through the air, skipping every step along the way. He settled at the landing to the roof, pushing the heavy, metal door open.

Blasting air greeted him without the force and humidity of the usual clouds. Alone, Kumo wondered if anyone else noticed how each dimension, quilted to pieces others, had a thin veil of distorted matter separating each world. He stood unwavering, watching it approach (told by a minorly-blurred image of the other side) approach at a high speed. No force pushed him back, no huge gust of wind greeted him, only the change in atmosphere.

"Attention Comodeen! We are approaching destination! Everyone standby to prepare for a possible attack!" Cid's voice echoed through the ship from speakers, Silvia slowing down quickly as her brakes were hit. Unready crew members got tossed, and even Kumo- deaf to the blonde's voice since he was outdoors- was forced to take a step forward for balance. Cid grinned, looking at the screen. "We made it!"

Knave approached the inventor. "Made it in time for what?" he peered over Cid's shoulder, but despite being the Comodeen's leader, couldn't understand a bit of the screen and controls before him.

Cid sat straight up, entering his maniac mode. "Why, this current phenomenon!" he grinned from ear to ear. "Perhaps this is a solution! Or it could all be foul play from a lord of Gaudium- who knows! I'm just excited to see what it can do!" as his voice got louder, Knave wisely stepped back a few more inches. Yes, maybe the blonde could be psychopathic, but the leader didn't want to be of witness to it. Awkward situations were not his forte.

On the roof, Kumo could feel the energy vibrating in the air uneasily. Mask in use, he looked around with only his eye, trying to see if there was anything different occurring- though, if they didn't know the dynamics of the world they were currently in, maybe nothing was changing.

He raised his head as the winds above the ship picked up speed, swirling together at a center-point- so cliche, in reality or stories. A storm hit, causing his hair and eyelashes to clump quickly, and the ship rocked back and forth.

No doubt Kaze was downstairs, still immaturely and selfishly clinging to his past of the annihilation of Windaria, without doing a thing about it.

Kumo's eyes widened as a flash of light blinded the entire area for just a moment, too short to count, though as his sight recuperated, he already know something was different. Looming around the entire area was a ring of gold. Or rather, on closer inspection, "An Ouroboros," Kumo mumbled to himself, watching a stylized red eye gleam at him due to the light. Seeing better still, the Misterian could see the blue designs that composed the body of the snake.

He watched the clouds being forced aside, 'opened' by the power of the Ouroboros, to reveal a great hole of, what appeared to be, black nothing. Even as it widened, dark matter emerged from it , slowly stripping itself to reveal a body.

Without waiting for any other signal, the sword flung from his belt, pointing straight overhead at his mental command. Fearing an immediate attack (or anything negative), he pulled a bottle from his belt, holding it near his face. "Embrace by the magical tune played by mist- now sleep!" he flung it in the air, sword creating a perfectly smooth, diagonal cut. "Silver etude!" Kumo grabbed the hilt of his sword, flying straight up, striking the offending person.

He hovered in the air, watching the body fall the hundreds of meters down to the ship, hitting the roof in a slumber. His mask opened, descending to inspect the body.


End file.
